Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe, ARTUZ has recorded twelve cases of members of the dreaded Central Intelligence Organisation, CIO, interrogating and harassing our members ahead of the 3rd of June job action.
Mashonaland West and Matebeleland South recorded eight cases between themselves, Midlands one, Mash Central two and Mashonaland East one.
The spy agents are targeting schools where our provincial and district leaders are resident. They proceed to invite our leaders for questioning which lasts for up to four hours. The questions asked include how we are mobilizing, who is sponsoring and list of our members in each district. The interrogation is concluded with death threats if the person participates in the coming job action.
Our schools are no longer safe for ARTUZ members. They are living in fear of a State which is supposed to protect them.
ARTUZ hereby:
- Reiterates the call for safe schools wherein people with no business with the schooling ecosystem should be banned from schools;
- Notes the paranoia that has gripped our government which is failing to resolve the economic crisis engulfing our nation;
- Reminds the government of Zimbabwe that workers have a right to engage in job actions as guaranteed in section 65 of Zimbabwe’s constitution;
- Announces the inevitability of 3rd of June 2019 job action if our demand for US dollar salaries is not met by then;
- Pronounces our legal intention to sue the state for the gross human rights violations it is perpetrating against our membership.
Source: Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ)
